The present invention relates generally to devices for handling flexible bagged product such as candy, shredded cheese, rice, beans, pasta, and bagged liquids such as intravenous solution, ketchup, salad dressing, etc. More particularly, it concerns an improved apparatus and method for automatically collecting product into groups at high speed and loading such groups into shipping cases.
The efficient handling of product packaged in lay flat flexible bags has long been a problem for the makers of such product. Because the bags are flexible, the bags are subject to distortion when pushed, stacked, or otherwise handled in any manner other than supporting the bags from below. Problems are encountered in handling such material both in the collating stage in which product is counted and prepared for loading into cases and in the stage in which the product is actually loaded into cases for shipping and handling.
Numerous machines have been designed to attempt to handle such material. For example, many of the machines convey the product to a stacking mechanism from which the product is pushed into a case. While this type of machine is able to handle flexible walled bags, it is believed that the pushing of such product increases the possibility of distortion of the bags upon packing. Additionally, it is believed that the nature of the stacking mechanism causes the mechanism to be unduly complex and expensive by comparison with the mechanism of the present invention.
Another example of an attempted solution to the problem of handling flexible bags is represented by machines which use a stop or hold back such that the flexible bags are packed one against another in a row for feeding into a case when the desired number of bags has accumulated against the stop or hold back. Regardless of the manner of feeding such product into a case, such a machine has the disadvantage of possibly damaging the product, if the product is a frangible product. Moreover, if the flexibility of the particular product is great, problems with the deformation of the bags during collection for packing may be encountered. Further, it has been observed that these machines are typically low speed machines in terms of the quantity of product handled.
One solution to the problems associated with pushing product has been to feed product into cases using an oscillating conveyor to group the product. This method is employed in FALLAS AUTOMATION INDEX SERIES CASE PACKERS. As a series of product moves to the end of the oscillating conveyor, the conveyor is indexed back a selected distance for each product until the desired layer of product has dropped into a bomb bay located at the end of the conveyor and positioned over a case supply.
Although this solution avoids deformation of the bags, it has limited speed capabilities. Because of the acceleration and deceleration involved, this type of apparatus appears to work best at speeds under 130 bags per minute unless more sophisticated (and expensive) servomotors are used.
It is therefore desirable to provide a high speed apparatus which automatically collects product contained in lay flat flexible bags into groups and deposits such groups into receptacles for shipping and handling in a manner which will not deform the bags or cause damage to the bags or the product contained therein. It is also desirable to provide an apparatus which is simple in design and operation so that its cost and maintenance are minimized.